Shopping centre space repurposed for brilliant charity working to reduce disadvantage and loneliness

An early adopter

ASTOP was one of the very first businesses ever to join A Good Thing, just a few days after we launched our pilot in February 2021.

ASTOP’s mission is transforming unused spaces for good causes, right across the UK, and as such the firm is a brilliant partner for A Good Thing. ASTOP describes itself as being ‘on a mission to redefine the role of empty commercial spaces, one property at a time’. Since the business was set up in 2014, it has managed 600 spaces across country, and has recently been experiencing rapid growth. Charities that occupy the spaces pay no rent, and no rates – sometimes they do have to cover the utilities, but not often. ASTOP also has some funds available to help tenant charities.

 In the spring the firm offered some office space in Plymouth via A Good Thing, and more recently ASTOP listed space in both the Midlands and Buckinghamshire. The High Wycombe space immediately caught Colin McGregor-Paterson’s eye at the Oasis Partnership charity – an organisation that engaged an amazing 700 individuals in Chesham last year:

“It couldn’t have come at better time. It was ideal for what we needed.”

Connecting landlords with charities

We caught up with Rohail Suleman from ASTOP to understand the firm’s operating model:

“ASTOP can benefit numerous charities. Retail space is great for charities if they want to have a presence in more prominent place, or even if they want storage space. We’re a central point between landlords and charities, and we deal with local authorities too. We can also manage the space for landlords, once it’s occupied.”

 Rohail told us that the firm currently has around 75 active spaces across the country: some are rented out very short term, and others long term. The firm has been growing substantially in recent months, as the cost-of-living crisis deepens. There is something in it for landlords too, as he told us:

“Landlords are essentially using charities to advertise the space – having a charity in residence makes the space look appealing, so that hopefully the landlord can eventually secure paying tenants. It’s a win–win! More and more landlords are now stepping forward now to do this.”

As soon as a space comes up, Rohail explained that ASTOP makes contact with the local volunteer centres to advertise the opportunity. But A Good Thing is now proving to be a great source of charity contacts, too.

A bit of a rabbit warren

 The space that the Oasis Partnership has ended up taking on thanks to A Good Thing is in a shopping centre in High Wycombe, but the location is a bit out of the way, according to Rohail:

“It used to be the staff management suite. It’s a bit tucked away: storage would be the best use for it. This is actually the second time ASTOP has successfully managed this space: the first time around, a paying tenant did take it on afterwards.”

Colin from the Oasis Partnership was looking for temporary space, as he explains:

“The charity was temporarily downsizing, so I was looking for short-term storage. We’ll be expanding eventually, but needed something temporary. This was the ideal space: it’s in a bit of a rabbit warren in the middle of the shopping centre, and there were no windows. It was perfect for what we wanted! I met Rohail there, checked out the health and safety aspects, as well as the security. Rohail was so friendly and accommodating – he made sure he met us when we were free, it was all really flexible.”

‘A godsend’

Colin discovered that he would be receiving some donated furniture from a refurbished furniture company, and was able to have it delivered direct to the new storage space:

 “Rohail was really flexible! We have spent the last couple of weeks moving furniture into the new space, to store it. It’s a godsend, we just wouldn’t have been able to keep the furniture where it was.”

Colin spoke highly of his engagement with ASTOP throughout the process:

“Rohail helped us out with some high-backed benches that we had but that wouldn’t fit into the space. He allowed us to store them in his nearby office instead. Rohail has bent over backwards for us: we really appreciate it! Having rent-free space has allowed us to develop some really innovative projects over the last few years – it’s a brilliant concept.”

It does what it says on the tin

 The Oasis Partnership is sharing the High Wycombe space with a second charity: The Hygiene Bank. Rohail at ASTOP is very happy with how the match happened:

“The A Good Thing model is really nice. Just keep doing what you’re doing! I’ve met Colin twice now, and I’ve met his sons while they were all moving the charity’s stuff in. The charity is saving cash, which is great. People are sometimes wary of ASTOP, they think it’s too good to be true. But it really is what it says on the tin!”

ASTOP will work with any charity at all. The firm has worked with very large charities, like Mind, but they do try to target charities that need a ‘leg up’. Rohail tells us what makes ASTOP special:

 “No one else is doing exactly what we’re doing. ASTOP absorbs all of the costs, protects the charity.”

 Landlords pay ASTOP a fee to find them a charity, and the firm keeps some money aside to help charities that are in need: the business can often help them move in and out.

 Rohail finished with praise for A Good Thing:

“I really like what you’re doing. So many businesses have surplus, things just get thrown away.

Space is in demand!

Are you a business with a space that you could share with charities in your local area?

It could be storage space, a rarely used meeting room or even an unused outdoor space…